Gov't flip-flops on NHI date
He made the comment in response to a caller while on the most recent edition of the National Democratic Party (NDP) Radio programme 'NDP Radio' on Monday evening April 20, 2015 on ZBVI Radio 780 AM.
“I haven’t heard anything about the NHI. Is it still in process or they have forgotten about it?” asked the caller.
In response, Minister Skelton said, “The NHI is still in process…all of the background work is being done. It probably will not come on stream, based on the work that is to be done, till probably September 2015.”
NHI from Jan 2015 – Roy E. Barry
Speaking publicly on the issue on a radio talk show during mid-2014, Deputy Director of the Social Security Board Roy E. Barry had promised that the NHI would have been on stream from January 2015. Barry had said private insurers were set to be on board with NHI and would have been offering options to allow persons to continue their private insurance to supplement what the NHI is offering.
“So far we have been able to have discussions with all of the private insurance companies and they have had the opportunity to look at our benefits package to see what exactly we’re offering so that they have an idea as to what they can offer to supplement what we have,” Barry had said.
“If we design this system to look after only the persons who cannot afford private insurance it will not be sustainable, because the persons who cannot afford private health insurance are the persons in the lower income bracket,” said Barry on the programme.
'NHI unaffordable'- Critics
Critics of the NHI believe the programme will cause people to give up one insurance over the other as retaining both will be hard on their pockets.
A woman who expressed her opinion on the scheme to this news site said her concerns are valid because of the economic strain being felt by the majority. The resident explained that since in the initial discussions of the NHI it was indicated that it would be compulsory for residents to sign up for NHI but that many persons would not be in a financial position to keep their current insurances.
“I can’t afford both, so if I give up my insurance that I already have, I would have been through that grace period already (three months before the insurance kicks in) and then I would have to go through another period with NHI. What is going to happen to me if something happens in that period?”
Persons are of the view that more consultations are needed with the public and the government of the day needs to come forward to tell the people exactly what is going on and where they are with NHI.
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